Apprentice Waste Network Operations (Level 3)

SEVERN TRENT WATER LIMITED

Bromsgrove, Derby, Gloucester, Leicester, Nottinghamshire, Shrewsbury, Stoke-on-Trent, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton

Closes in 7 days (Monday 16 March 2026)

Posted on 9 March 2026

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Summary

During your programme you will be working on-site and gain experience across waste networks sewerage operations, by completing 2 in-role placements within our Customer and Environment teams.

Wage

£22,500 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Water industry network technician (level 3)
Hours
You will be working 37 per week Monday to Friday, typically across a 7am – 3pm, working hours may differ due to the role being in an operational area of the business.

37 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 1 September 2026

Duration

2 years

Positions available

10

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

You’ll join a 24-month programme, made up of 20 months of training and a 4 month EPA (End Point Assessment) period. During your programme you will be working on-site and gain experience across waste networks sewerage operations, by completing 2 in-role placements within our Customer and Environment teams.

  • In the Customer team, you’ll work with our reactive operatives, who are responsible for responding to customer call-outs and maintaining Severn Trent’s waste network. You'll learn to use jetting and vaccumation equipment to support first-response tasks such as blockage clearance, pipe cleansing, and network surveying, while delivering excellent face-to-face customer service. 
  • In the Environment team, you’ll work with our proactive technicians and technical experts, who are responsible for maintaining the variety of assets on Severn Trent's waste network. You'll learn to identify our assets and understand how they work to support advance problem diagnosis, while identifying improvement opportunities and mitigating pollution risks.

What you will learn:

You'll be supporting colleagues to help create a fair and equitable working environment where everyone can succeed by:  

  • Learning how we maintain and repair our wastewater network.
  • Ensuring our system is working efficiently and effectively so that we don’t cause any nasty blockages! 
  • Working with customers to educate them on the impact pouring fats, oils and greases down the drain can have on our system and will take pro-active surveys and actions to keep our network well maintained.  
  • Understanding how we respond and investigate pollution incidents, with a real care for our environment and customers.

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

  • Severn Trent Water, Sugarbrook Lane, Bromsgrove, B60 3AU
  • Raynesway, Derby, DE21 7BE
  • Severn Trent Water (Staverton), Gloucester, GL2 9QY
  • Leicester Water Centre, Gorse Hill, Anstey, Leicester, LE7 7GU
  • Severn Trent Water, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG18 2RJ
  • Shelton, Shrewsbury, SY3 8BJ
  • Seven Trent Water, Barlaston Old Road, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, ST12 9FA
  • Kingsbury Road, Minworth, Sutton Coldfield, B76 9DP
  • Severn Trent Longbridge, Warwick, Warwickshire, CV34 6QW
  • Severn Trent Water (Barnhurst), Wolverhampton, WV9 5HN

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

MERIT SKILLS LIMITED

Training course

Water industry network technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Comply with (water or wastewater) industry regulations and procedures.
  • Complete risk assessments: identify and document risks and hazards in the workplace. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with health and safety regulations, and safe working and security practices and procedures.
  • Set out and remove signing, lighting, and guarding.
  • Conduct vehicle checks.
  • Conduct and assess impact of activity for example, environmental, cost, reputation, safety, and health. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations and requirements . For example, safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials, and efficient use of resources.
  • Apply principles of sustainable development. For example, in choice of materials.
  • Trace and locate network services.
  • Collect mitigation data or evidence.
  • Check technician tools and equipment. Conduct maintenance for example, calibration.
  • Identify issues. Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques: identify root cause. Resolve faults.
  • Consider, identify, and promote areas for improvement. For example, in relation to quality, cost, time, safety, and impact.
  • Use information technology. Follow cyber security requirements. Comply with GDPR.
  • Interpret digital mapping systems and update.
  • Complete work documentation: enter and record data and information using digital technology for example, hand-held devices.
  • Read and interpret written information. For example, work instructions, and service level agreements.
  • Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, equipment, traffic management, and personnel.
  • Prioritise work activities.
  • Communicate verbally and in writing. For example, with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders. Use water industry terminology where appropriate.
  • Identify and escalate issues.
  • Provide advice and guidance to customers.
  • Liaise with, negotiate with, and handle conflict in individual or group environments.
  • Apply and enforce water fittings regulations to customer installations for example, rainwater harvest systems and solar panels.
  • Read and interpret technical data for example, flows and pressures.
  • Install pressure gauges.
  • Conduct flow and pressure measurements.
  • Identify different valve types. Operate multiple valves, hydrants and washouts including isolation and recharging of mains.
  • Follow hygiene practices for example, disinfect equipment.
  • Select and use water quality testing equipment to test for water quality for example, chlorine, turbidity, taste, odour, and clarity.
  • Sample for chemical and micro-biological analysis.
  • Set up temporary loggers (flow and pressure).
  • Carry out network optimisation activity. For example, PRV, PSV, and air valve maintenance.
  • Select and use leakage detection tools and methods to identify source of leakage. For example, step testing, acoustic and electronic, data logging ground microphones, and correlators.
  • Inspect and check network assets for example, air values, PRV, critical values, fire hydrant. Identify action.
  • Select and use equipment to complete planned preventative maintenance. For example, conduct high velocity mains cleansing and low turnover flushing.
  • Conduct step testing using valves.
  • Select and use initial leakage detection equipment and methods. For example, acoustic and electronic, data logging, ground microphones, and correlators.
  • Use specific leakage detection equipment and methods to identify leakage pin-point for example, network or customer side.
  • Conduct targeted DMA (district metered area) survey.
  • Access, download, and interpret data from pressure and flow loggers.
  • Test and assess application of innovative leakage equipment.
  • Apply maintenance practices to meters and loggers. Identify and arrange repairs.
  • Trace or locate drain or sewer.
  • Complete visual inspection to check assets for example, combined sewer overflow, non-return valves, flow control devices, and storage tanks. Identify action.
  • Use dye testing to trace and investigate cross or illegal connections.
  • Use digital inspection equipment for example, CCTV to check assets. Identify action.
  • Use sonde equipment.
  • Select and use blockage removal equipment for example, rods and jetting equipment.
  • Select and use equipment to apply first line maintenance techniques for example, replace seals, lubricate, de-silt, and de-scale.
  • Follow alarm response procedures.
  • Comply with (water or wastewater) industry regulations and procedures.
  • Complete risk assessments: identify and document risks and hazards in the workplace. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with health and safety regulations, and safe working and security practices and procedures.
  • Set out and remove signing, lighting, and guarding.
  • Conduct vehicle checks.
  • Conduct and assess impact of activity for example, environmental, cost, reputation, safety, and health. Apply control measures.
  • Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations and requirements . For example, safe disposal of waste, re-cycling or re-use of materials, and efficient use of resources.
  • Apply principles of sustainable development. For example, in choice of materials.
  • Trace and locate network services.
  • Collect mitigation data or evidence.
  • Check technician tools and equipment. Conduct maintenance for example, calibration.
  • Identify issues. Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques: identify root cause. Resolve faults.
  • Consider, identify, and promote areas for improvement. For example, in relation to quality, cost, time, safety, and impact.
  • Use information technology. Follow cyber security requirements. Comply with GDPR.
  • Interpret digital mapping systems and update.
  • Complete work documentation: enter and record data and information using digital technology for example, hand-held devices.
  • Read and interpret written information. For example, work instructions, and service level agreements.
  • Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, equipment, traffic management, and personnel.
  • Prioritise work activities.
  • Communicate verbally and in writing. For example, with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders. Use water industry terminology where appropriate.
  • Identify and escalate issues.
  • Provide advice and guidance to customers.
  • Liaise with, negotiate with, and handle conflict in individual or group environments.

Training schedule

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

English and Maths (grade A-C or Grades 4-9)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Number skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

About this employer

At Severn Trent, we believe everyone deserves more. More care for the environment, more sustainable initiatives, and more support for the communities we serve. That's why we're on a mission to deliver bigger and better things, and we need passionate apprentices like you to help us achieve our goals. 

 

Our people and culture are the heart of our success. We're proud to be in the top 5% of utility companies worldwide for employee engagement and ranked as a Top 50 UK Employer on Glassdoor. With nearly 10,000 dedicated colleagues, we're looking for more brilliant people who are eager to turn challenges into opportunities for a better future. 

If you're excited to learn, and ready to make a real impact, we want you on our team

https://www.severntrent.com/careers/early-careers/ (opens in new tab)

Disability Confident

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

  • By the end of this programme, you will take up a full time role in Severn Trent where you will be able to put your skills to action
  • Following completion of your apprenticeship, you will move into a full-time role such as a Waste Network Technician where you’ll get to make a real difference

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

MERIT SKILLS LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000019906.

Apply now

Closes in 7 days (Monday 16 March 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.